Ursa Major

American  

[ur-suh mey-jer] / ˈɜr sə ˈmeɪ dʒər /

noun

Astronomy.

genitive

Ursae Majoris

1. the Great Bear, the most prominent northern constellation, containing the seven stars that form the Big Dipper.

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Ursa Major British  

/ ˈɜːsə ˈmeɪdʒə /

noun

1. Also called: the Great Bear.   the Bear.  an extensive conspicuous constellation in the N hemisphere, visible north of latitude 40°. The seven brightest stars form the Plough. A line through the two brightest stars points to the Pole Star lying in Ursa Minor

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Ursa Major Scientific  

/ ûr′sə /

1. A constellation in the polar region of the Northern Hemisphere near Draco and Leo. Ursa Major (the Great Bear) contains the seven stars that form the Big Dipper.

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Ursa Major Cultural  

1. A constellation; the Great Bear. (See Big Dipper.)

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Etymology

Origin of Ursa Major

Middle English word dating back to 1350–1400

Example Sentences

I even spot some constellations Autumn and I would see on summer nights, including Ursa Major and Leo Minor.

From Literature

Spy Brunch found inspiration in the era of ’60s protest music in its “Ursa Major and the Blue Mountain Hexes,” turning audience members into makeshift musicians in its mischievous show about outwitting a government agent.

From Los Angeles Times

Ursa Major was also known as Sparta III, so it was not clear which ship it was referring to.

From BBC

Located 12 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major, this galaxy is relatively compact in size but hosts a frenzy of star formation activity.

From Science Daily

Ursa Major, also known as the Great Bear, is one of the most prominent northern constellations, and its main claim to fame is that it contains the Big Dipper, a highly recognizable asterism.

From National Geographic